New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-27
NEU- YORK'S FIRST RESEETOIR
WHEN THE WATER SUPPLY WAS PUMPED FROM \
WELL NEAR TwEIFTH-sE AND TnIRD-AVE.

WHEN THE wATTE SUPPLY WAS PUMPED FROM \
WELL NEAR TwEIFfH-sE AND 1nIED-AvE.
The keeper If New-York Ciiys first reservoir for
water suppv was the grandfather OF T. f. DOVE sa.cs-
man 10, Cottrt & Sons the wclknvwn printing press
manufacturers Sir. D0wes grandfather also had
charge Of part OF the construction 81 this reservoir.
In conversation with q tribune reporter the other
day. the subj CT OF the Croton Aqucducl having come
up Mr. Dove related some points concerning 'he early
rcservoirs here which had come to HIM through his
father aud grandfather. sad he:
awhile may journals are gl'in% accounts oil the
new Croton Aqucduct and OF New lorks future
water sup y. OF The ,rea, work which II successfully
carried throloh will be- notable event in New lOrks
history Of the immense contract pr.ce- and Of the
lives lot in the vast undc taknL, it wonld doublcss
prove Interesting TO revert to the hrt water supply oil
New YORK. which is puuv ana bssnllchnt III cYinpari-
son with the great engineering venture OF today. IL
nevertheless seemed 10 the Newcomers Oi lHZI-2J 4
work uf huge orc, portions. v bed the suburbs OF
New York CITY 81 about iOnstOnst, Fourteenth
ST was the terminus OF the Bowery nov FOnrtlIdVcl.
and away Odt in the country. The reservoir was
placed the slope OF the hill winch extended from
S,xlcenth-st ana Ola Boston Road llbifd-dvel south
westerly between Twelfth anG Thirteenth st. ii
was back short distance from the Bowcry Road, oa
an elevated piece uf ground. OF this I'll: no signs now
remain ar the progress OF improvement uptown caused
the grading aud cartb2 away OF this prominent part
of Manhattan Island In 1893 or thcreabouis, when
the reservoir was completed old Newly ork's water
supply was from well l3 icet deep by about 30 in
diameter. An engine pumped the water from the well
TO the reservoir two three times each week. Latcr,
M New York grew III size ana ircs called Tor greater
annply shafts were driven OF east and west from the
well 100 feet below the surface the shafts beirG c {
high and broad and extending from the well about
us feet. Still later we'll was used, which was
situated here the Jefferson Market Police Court now
stands and the wafer was pumped and carried under
ground to the reservoir and finally aitcsan bOIlnSs
wprr mace in the vicinity ui the reservoir, which
n tank composed of non plates boltcd strongly TO.
qether 1t was 20 feet deep by ~ in diamefer, and
set solid stone masonry 80 10 40 feet ron the
adj ha .If.ia mill ran limit linz
surmounted hy a cupola, which wa, IeIchcd ~ "A
winding staircase. ~
and reservoir buil'. but was surrounded by brick
insteod of n wooden budiu.. IL waH the proper thing
fot Workers to 20 ont 10 tho water works ana to
show visitors t. the city the fine views TO be hal from
fbe cnpola above the tank. On the hill at sixteenth
st and Boston Road could he seen the old windmill
with its peculiarly ARRANGED motive power 10 The
right of the rcser, cir, looking north, was Sandy
Gihsons boathouse at TL:tccuth-st ard East River,
the tde-waler coming up 10 the present Flrs,-ayc.
There no other bnildings between Gibsons and
Twenty third ST.. bat beyond was Peter COOpcrs Lue
factory and the lett OF the glue factory the House
OF Refuge in the region now known Madison Square.
At tie junction OF Boston Road and The Bowery was
Peter Cooper's grocery store, and Gamers cahcJ
factory was at Ainti-st. and Boston Road. North
ward of the reservoir again. bat in the distance was
the Blind Asylum; where Columbia College Is nov
Road broadway sas the so-callcd banned house
which was built by the Ole Mechanics Bank ;
then Brdgcman, the norist g, place ana mo- mere
voir was the two-story brck residence occupied by
Thomas DOVE the first keeper OF the Reservoir. and
his family. IN -.
foat in the tank connected With an alarm bell IN
the house which gave warning that some fire in the
city was causing the supply to diminish below ihc
average necessiialine the starting of the pun ping
engine Across the Bower,, directly in front OF the
house two sycamore trees with hollow trunks reared
their lofty heads to the un0bstrncied hreezes ohe
of the trees is yet standing just inside the coal yard
fence at Fourth and Thrteenthst Its con panoi
was blown down in storm many years ago The
survivor now has only a shell of trunk Soon u too
will 90 the wav Of its companion, and landmark he
lett but the old Washington Institute on Thirteenth
St near Third-ave., used in those days IA boarding
school Uriah Wendman the water puryeyor, and
IL was he who devised the plans and carried them int
practical effect for New YOrks first reservoir which
was abandoned when Croton water was introduced In
1S4or